First editions and first illustrated editions of literature classics from 15th to 18th century in contemporary bindings

New collected edition of the works of Théophile. The third part contains the pieces written during his imprisonment until his death. Text in italics.

Contemporary full red morocco binding. Raised spine richly decorated. Red morocco title label. Edges gilt. Owner's initials in the tail compartment: BD (these letters are found handwritten on the title leaf with the number 68). Joint widely cracked along the tail compartment, without damage to the headcap. A hole of one cm in diameter on leaf 83 of the second part, with the loss of one word over three lines. Leaf 115 with three restorations resulting in the loss of two letters. Foxing, sometimes heavy.
These Works are...

Substantially revised reissue of the first illustrated edition of the Contes et nouvelles en vers, published ten years earlier, in 1685, by the same Henry Desbordes. Two parts bound in one 12mo volume: (16) 236 pp. (2); (8) 216 pp. (2).

The illustration comprises two frontispieces and 58 half-page vignettes after Romeyn de Hooghe. Yet this apparent continuity with the 1685 edition conceals a thorough reworking. The earlier copperplates were not simply reused: the compositions were re-engraved in reverse. The frontispiece to the first volume thus reproduces the 1685 design in mirror image, now...

The rare first French edition, translated by Jean-Baptiste Robinet, after the first English edition published in 1769. Four attractive separate engraved title pages. Changuion catalogue at the end of the third part. The edition shared in Paris with Le Jay appeared a few months later and does not have engraved titles.
Contemporary binding in full marbled brown sheep. Decorated raised-band spine. Beige morocco title label, tobacco morocco volume label. Triple fillet frame on boards. Loss to lower joint at foot of volume I. 3 corners bumped. Handsome copy, fresh overall.
Epistolary novel set in Canada. "The romantic customs of Canada and the manners of its inhabitants are described...

Manuscript based on the Gothic first edition of 1523, in black ink, in relatively legible handwriting. The manuscript is paginated from p.1 to 400. Approximately 28 lines per page. The final leaf reads: "Nouvellement imprimé à Paris, par Philippe Le Noir, libraire et relieur... Imprimé le 20e jour de juin mil cinq cent 23."

Contemporary full glazed blonde calf binding. Spine with raised bands decorated. Red morocco title-label. 2 corners slightly bumped. Rubbing. Scratches to boards. Worming to first 8 leaves in outer margin, without consequence; also minor worming to upper board. A handsome copy.
The spelling of the 1523 version appears to have been modernized in...

Rare first edition, published anonymously.
Contemporary full marbled and polished calf binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label. Traces of rubbing. Missing the half-title of the first part. Handsome copy.
Philosophical tale in which a young man, first raised in a cage then cast onto a desert island, is educated by nature at the age of 15. Each experience becomes a discovery, either about the world or about himself. This young man thus embodies the scientist of modern times, virgin before things. Facing nature and far from civilization, man is fundamentally good according to the novel, but nature itself is not exempt from evils that man is called upon...

First bilingual edition, with French facing Greek, translated by Pierre Coste, with his footnotes. Title page printed in red and black. Extended preface by Pierre Coste.
Copy bearing the arms of Queen Elisabeth Farnese of Spain, Princess of Parma, queen from 1714 to 1746. A woman of power whose policies profoundly influenced Spain. Double coat of arms surmounted by a closed royal crown, encircled by the collars of the Orders of the Holy Spirit and the Golden Fleece. Dexter: Spain; sinister: Farnese ("or with six fleurs-de-lys azure, 3,2,1"). An intriguing feature of the queen’s arms: the collars of the Orders of the Holy Spirit and of the Golden Fleece, although these...

First edition

Contemporary full red morocco binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label. Triple fillet frame on boards. Gilt edges. Traces of rubbing. 2 corners slightly bumped.

Fine copy, precious in contemporary red morocco.

One of the very few copies bearing an autograph inscription—fewer than ten are recorded—of this first edition, containing the Marseillaise.
First edition illustrated with an engraved frontispiece by Charles-Étienne Gaucher after Jean-Jacques Le Barbier and four pages of engraved musical score at the end of the volume. La Marseillaise appears here in its true first edition, having first been pre-published in the Almanach des Muses in 1793 and circulated as separate leaves.
Contemporary half-sheepskin binding, smooth spine gilt-decorated with compartments, fleurons and fillets, red morocco title-piece, black pasteboard...

Paris, Nicolas Simart, 1734, and Rollin fils, 1737. Six duodecimo volumes.

First official edition, largely in first printing, of the Recueil des lettres de Madame la marquise de Sévigné à Madame la comtesse de Grignan, sa fille, edited by Denis-Marius Perrin under the supervision of Pauline de Simiane, the author's granddaughter. The first four volumes were published by Nicolas Simart in 1734; the final two, completing the collection, by Rollin fils in 1737. The set contains 614 letters, all addressed to Madame de Grignan.

Two engraved portraits...

Rare edition of this bawdy tale, complete in two parts published separately. It is illustrated with four wood-engraved vignettes, borrowed from Decameron of Boccace (Venice, 1531) and ingeniously twisted to suit their context. This edition is the first text of the author and is unique in that it has not been corrected. The book will be translated in French only in 1792.
Modern binding in full red morocco, the spine in five compartments, gilt date and title, golden fillets surround the cover, the endpaper and pastedown of vellum.
Provenance: Library of Gianni de Marco with its book plate and itsseal.
No copies in an American Library, one in the British...

New edition. It is known that the first volumes 1 to 8 appeared in 1777, then the rest staggered until 1789. This edition does not contain Bachaumont's name on the title page, unlike the original. It is not known whether the address is fictitious or real, but the typographical material appears to be Dutch. Bachaumont wrote the first volumes but they were edited by Pidansat de Mairobert who continued writing the volumes until his death in 1779, then it was Moufle d'Angersville's turn. The complete collection contains 36 volumes.

Bindings in half chocolate sheep with corners. Spine with raised bands decorated with 3 fleurons. Title and volume numbering gilt. Boards rubbed.

New Deux-Ponts edition of the works of Statius.
Bound in slightly later Bradel-style boards, navy blue. Smooth spine with fillets. Red morocco title label. Rubbing to head and tail, edges and corners. Cut to foot of p. 25. Handsome copy.
Life of Statius by Giraldi. Index by Fabricius Ernestinus. Publius Papinius Statius was a Latin poet born in Naples in the 1st century AD; the 3 works that remain to us are the Silvae, the Thebaid and the Achilleid, which are 2 epic poems. His popularity led to his appearance in Dante's Divine Comedy.

Illustrated first edition. Faerno's verses appeared for the first time in 1564, and Perrault's version in 1699. This edition gives for the first time Faerno's original text followed by Perrault's translation. It is illustrated with a frontispiece by Claude du Bosc representing Aesop among animals, and 100 unsigned headpieces (9 x 11 cm). The preliminary leaves contain some poems by the neo-Latin poet and some letters.

Full aubergine morocco binding from the late 19th century signed Chatelin in the frieze. Richly ornamented spine with raised bands. Title, date and place in gilt. Central framing à la Du Seuil with fleurons in the corners and 4 large fleurons inside the rectangle...

New édition after the first complete edition in 2 volumes of 1726, illustrated with a frontispiece and 12 charming and picturesque unsigned figures by Dubercelle. Title pages in red and black. Good impression. The frontispiece reproduces that of the first edition of 1707, it has been re-engraved. 

Contemporary full glazed brown calf binding. Ornate spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label. Lower joint split at foot for 2 cm, otherwise handsome copy, very fresh.

It was this work that made Lesage a distinguished and immediately celebrated writer. The author had borrowed the framework from Guevarra, the devil carrying a mortal over the rooftops and observing...

First illustrated edition with 3 title vignettes and 3 figures by Eisen in volume I (as well as 3 pages of engraved music) plus 3 tailpieces and 1 figure by Marillier, 2 by Barbier and 3 title vignettes by Marillier in volume II, plus 3 tailpieces. All engraved by Fessard, Longueil, Née, Delaunay and Halbou. Very fine illustration, very elegant.
Contemporary full calf binding with scale pattern. Spine with raised bands decorated. Red morocco title labels, and green morocco volume labels. Triple-ruled frame on boards. Edges gilt. Small lack to upper joint at head of volume I. Signs of rubbing. Pale scattered foxing. One lack to margin of p. 479. The binder has inverted the volume...